Stories by Hamish Bidwell

A surprise win from the Highlanders and a few head scratching moments from the referees - RNZ reviews week one of the 2019 Super Rugby season.

Opinion - Julian Savea's stand-off with the owner of French club Toulon is just the latest example of the cut-throat nature of professional rugby in the Northern Hemisphere, writes Hamish Bidwell.

Opinion - Despite their constant public relation spin that they're inclusive, you have to wonder if New Zealand sporting organisations actually care about women, Hamish Bidwell writes.

As good as Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls and Tim Seifert are, Colin Munro is the man to open New Zealand's batting alongside Martin Guptill, writes Hamish Bidwell.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen's comments about Michael Cheika earlier this week were nothing more than a joke, writes Hamish Bidwell.

Crusaders coach Scott Robertson will be the biggest threat to Ian Foster in the race for the All Blacks top job, writes Hamish Bidwell.

You just want Zac Guildford to be healthy and happy.

Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor is proving himself on and off the pitch, unlike his teammates, writes Hamish Bidwell.

You suspect Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and company have been sleeping all right, Hamish Bidwell writes.

The list of people who are worth more than they're getting is a long one, writes Hamish Bidwell.

Opinion - Where there was disinterest and despair, along with a dwindling number of club faithful, there's now an almost unbridled optimism, writes Hamish Bidwell.

Opinion - The Black Caps' decisive 3-0 one-day international series win over Sri Lanka shows good players are going to find themselves left out of NZ's best XI, writes Hamish Bidwell.

The temptation was to laugh - Ireland, so the experts would have us believe, are odds on to win this year's Rugby World Cup, writes Hamish Bidwell.

Cricket has a good product, which people can admire and take seriously, the games mean something, they're hard-won and - what's more - New Zealand are playing them as well as anyone.

If it's Christmas, then it's time to draw up a sporting wishlist for 2019, writes Hamish Bidwell.